Add another chapter to the book of Max Pacioretty's borderline-freakish ability to return from injuries.

The Montreal Canadiens forward played Sunday against the Ottawa Senators, just eight days after an appendectomy and two to three weeks ahead of doctors' initial prognoses.

Pacioretty, a 33-goal scorer last season, had an assist in 16:09 of ice time during the Canadiens' 2-1 win. He's no worse for the wear, except for one thing: The appendix was removed from his belly button.

"It gave me an outie, which I'm not too happy about," he said after the game, according to the Montreal Gazette's Dave Stubbs.

Pacioretty, 24, won the Masterton Trophy last season after a concussion and cracked vertebra ended his 2010-11 season. Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara infamously checked him into a stanchion along the Bell Centre boards. Earlier that season, he didn't miss any time despite a cracked rib that sent him to the hospital.

Pacioretty said a fast start helped him, as did a long skate on Saturday.

"I feel really good, surprisingly," Pacioretty said. "Everyone in here plays banged up all the time. Maybe mine's a little bit more magnified because I had surgery, but we've got a lot of warriors in here who play through injuries all the time."

All of this has helped Pacioretty earn the nickname "Wolverine"—it's a fit because of the X-Men character's "mutant healing factor," and the fact that Pacioretty played at the University of Michigan.